Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue – Page 4

New Beginnings

The first time I saw Spice, she was cowering under her Kuranda dog bed in the tiny space between it and the floor. Her leash was attached, and would remain that way for some time as she was impossibly shy and would bolt when approached.

She was part of a group of dogs surrendered from a breeder. At one year of age, she had no idea what it meant to live inside or with people. All she knew were other dogs and the safety of a single pen. Her evaluation said “frightened; shy; no idea what to do with a toy; has had no socialization to people; best to go to a home with other dogs.”

She made tiny baby steps forward with select human friends going ever so slowly in the hopes that she would learn to trust.

It can happen, but in the kennel environment, it takes much longer.

Lisa is one of team leads. She has a very special way with the dogs; part dog whisperer, part “let’s go!-er.”

Where others coddle, Lisa confidently expects. She sizes up a dog and when she believes it can do more, somehow, it starts believing it too. She was the first to get a collar on our once feral, River.

At one year of age, he had been living along the river’s edge for who knows how long. Finally captured with a Ketchall, the animal control pole, he wanted nothing to do with anything going over his head or around his neck. A collar and leash were his ticket out of the outside enclosure to indoor comfort. Thankfully, he arrived in the late spring when the weather was good.

Lisa earned his trust enough to allow his face to be pet, starting from the nose. When she sat with him to do this, he would close his eyes. One day, during this session, she waited for his eyes to close and just slipped on the collar. He could have backed out as he had done with so many others, but he allowed it. Perhaps it was the fluidness of her gesture or her sheer determination that caught River off guard, but on the collar went and so began his rehabilitation.

So it was no surprise that Lisa packed up our shy girl and brought her home. There, big Golden teddy bear Dakota could guide her

and little Kiki could help her to be brave.

They were joined by Mamacita and Babycakes—two Chihuahuas that were dumped in the fields near the rescue and wormed their way into Lisa’s heart (and car) as pretend fosters

—and Forrest, a very special needs boy.

This unlikely pack was obviously exactly what Spice needed because the next time I saw her – she looked like this.

Inside every winter lies the beginnings of spring just waiting for its right time and opportunity to blossom.

One year later, Spice’s whole life and happiness have changed for the better because someone believed that she was capable of more.

She’s rolling in the new year as a completely different dog.

There is no telling what a fresh start, love and companionship will bring to our rescued dogs in 2019 –

and I can’t wait to see. Here is to a year full of new beginnings.

Wordless Wednesday: Daisy

All I want for Christmas?

I wasn’t exactly looking for a puppy for Christmas, but when one arrived about a week before, how could I not bring it home to foster?

Surrendered at 14 weeks, Leo is an adorable yellow Lab puppy. His people purchased him and figured out within a week’s time that they were not cut out for puppy raising. Having a really bad feeling about the breeder, they thankfully brought him to Homeward Bound instead of returning him. He checked in on Friday morning and was loaded into my car by Friday afternoon, headed for Camp Yogi. And then the fun began!

He took to my Yogi and Jackson immediately.

He slept in his crate through the night.
He went potty where he was supposed to.
And then my husband foolishly remarked: “He must be the easiest puppy we have had yet.”
Leo had played us well.

Shortly thereafter, Leo’s true personality came bursting through. He is one of the busiest, bounciest, flying-highest puppies we have every fostered.

https://vimeo.com/308028682

He turned on the gas stove; he stole things off the counter; when he couldn’t reach, he used Yogi as a ladder.
He had zoomies of epic proportion, and tantrums to match if they could not be exercised (exorcised?) out.

A tired puppy is a good puppy, and we were able to keep him tired enough to weather the hurricane –

until he went in for his neuter surgery and Doc said “no jumping or running for 10 days.”

I managed 48 hours before surrendering to his will.

Forewarned, the in-laws cancelled their Christmas visit and we prepared to spend the long holiday weekend playing, chasing, and keeping the house from burning down.
And then: a Christmas miracle…

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
A creature was stirring, ‘beware’ said my spouse!
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature tornado on a barking, whirling, tear!
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
He was chubby and plump, a right crazy little elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

He cuddled and cooed, to a family he wooed,
And got himself adopted; he is truly quite shrewd!

And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas, little Leo. You tested, tormented and exhausted me – and flat out stole my heart.
Happy life, little boy!

BE GOOD!!

A Winter Rose

It doesn’t happen often—but often enough to wonder. Dogs that are long-time residents of the rescue—the ones with special behavioral or medical needs who wait for angel adopters—find their way home only to pass unexpectedly just as they have found love. Not that they aren’t loved by us. But there is a difference between being loved and cared for by volunteers and being a chosen special someone and finally being home. It is if—wrapped in that security—that they finally fully relax and let their guard completely down. And in that vulnerability, cancer strikes or hearts fail.

Our hearts go out to their adopters who opened their hearts and homes only to be robbed of precious golden years. And yet, they keep coming back to us to risk it all again. “How lucky that they finally got to experience home,” they—and we say…and believe.

It sometimes happens in reverse. At 10 years of age, Bear survived the Camp Fire and the stress of makeshift accommodations before being surrendered to us.

Without a home, the family had no way to keep him. It wasn’t that his body didn’t show his age: his hind legs were weak and strange lumps and bumps hung off him everywhere. But his demeanor was happy and his old soul was sweet.

One of those lumps concerned our Doc more than the others. Bear took a happy ride to the vet “talking” all the way there as his mom had told us he was wont to do. It’s a German Shepherd thing. Under a gentle, anesthesia-induced sleep, she discovered that that we were too late. The invader had already burst. Bear had given us no clue.

This time, we are the ones feeling robbed. We did not know him long, but you could not love him if you met him.

The first roses of the season are bright and fresh and last and last. But the short-lived last roses of the season—in their frailty—are some of the most beautiful.

Here’s to you, sweet Bear. A winter rose beyond its bloom.

And all of the others we have loved and lost too soon.

Blessings

Rosie was a breeder dog who was considered “used up.” A good Samaritan took her and brought her to us when the breeder made clear that she would be disposing of her.

She has never lived inside or been treated with love, and yet, she gives hers unconditionally. The first bed she had was the one we provided her.

When her adopters mentioned that they would be letting her pick out her own new bed and toys, Rosie made clear she was ready to go!

Cole was left tied up on a street with cut-out soda bottles filled with food and water.

A good Samaritan found him and, after ensuring that no one was looking for him, brought him to us. His thick coat was a matted mess, full of burs and foxtails. His new sister, Lucy, said “you can come home with us.” Cole will never be left alone and abandoned again.

Buddy’s only fault was being young.

His human man brought Buddy to us with tears in his eyes when his human woman said she had enough of him. His new people were overjoyed to find him and are looking forward to completing his growing up with patience and love.

Sadie and Sitka lost their home in the Camp Fire.

They are our honored guests while their humans work to get their lives back on track. Out of harm’s way, they spent days tied to the family’s bumper because the small animal shelters were full. They are with us for safekeeping until their people are ready and all can be reunited.

Milo was born without eyes.

He was adopted from Homeward Bound and went to live with his mom in Paradise, CA.
When the fire came, she loaded him in the car and raced to get down the hill.
At some point, they had to abandon the car and begin the journey on foot with so many others.
This boy with no sight put his full faith in his human mom through a five and a half hour trek in thick smoke and ash as she guided him to safety.
Now, she thanks us for the gift of Milo who gives her strength and hope to carry on.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are surrounded by reminders of all that we have to be thankful for.

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” ~ W.T. Purkiser

Some Things…

Some things make me laugh.

Some make me smile.

Some fill me with joy – like the asters in fall.

And others make me want to say, “Don’t worry boy, didn’t I tell you you’d be home in a flash?”

Some touch my heart.

Some fill me with hope.

And some make me wonder how a boy ever thought that peeing on a new girlfriend would win her over?!

But this just fills me with pride.

Last year, I told you about a young airman shipping out to South Korea for a year of service. She left her one-year-old boy in the care of our loving foster family.
This week, I was honored to be invited to witness their reunion –

and to share their story again.

Some things make me cry…with pride and joy. I could not love this “work” more.

Fall Project #3: Where Did All The Dogs Go?

This is not my project…but it’s a big one that impacts everyone who volunteers at the rescue. We had been waiting for the weather to turn to get it done.

This weekend, the guys removed all 25 kennels and lined them up in the yards where they will wait for a week.

Monday, the floor installers will come and begin putting down flooring that has been vet-tested for endurance. It should withstand the wear and tear and make cleaning easier and more thorough – and anything that helps to reduce germs is a good thing in a kennel environment. But it will require up to a week to complete. So where are all the dogs???

First…we put out a plea for short-term foster help. So many people raised their hands; it is truly gratifying. Not only will it be less stressful on the dogs, we’ll learn more about them from their time in foster. A few might even foster-fail if we are lucky!

Second…the dogs have been getting adopted as fast as we can get them ready! This seems to happen in waves. Sometimes, they will be here for weeks with little activity, and then the floodgates open. The timing could not have been better and we LOVE going homes!

Third…with the weather cooler now, the remaining dogs will spend their daytime hours in the yards.

Our walkers and feeders are so conscientious about getting the dogs out. Their days look like this: Feed and run. Nap. Walk and play. Nap. Swim or playgroup. Nap. Feed and run. Bedtime. With the kennels removed, they are not getting their naps which brings me to…

Fourth…thankfully, we have a large facility with lots of places to stash dogs when necessary (puppy palace, office spaces, conference room, senior yard, laundry room, and isolation unit). With so many at foster or adopted, everyone found a cozy place to stay at night. They won’t have quite as much room this week at bedtime…but without their daytime naps, I am betting they will be so tired that they won’t even notice.

Like I said – this is not my project. Hats off to the guys doing the heavy lifting, Lori and Jody doing the heavy planning, the adoption and foster counselors and placement team doing the getting ‘em home, and the feeders and walkers for braving the chaos to ensure that the dogs are comfortable and cared for through the process. ‘Cause like we say…”it’s all about the dogs!”

Fall Project #2: The Puppy Pad

Maria’s decorations signal that fall has arrived in the garden…but gardening had to wait this weekend.

I’m a big fan of completing one project before starting another (the Virgo in me) – so I was hoping to complete the new bed this week. But when the success of a project depends on the muscles of others – you adapt! My crew was available this weekend…so this weekend was dedicated to the new Puppy Pad.

We built a Puppy Palace in 2014 with a dedicated shed, kennel, and a little enclosed yard for our youngest guests.

All was well until…the well! The pumping equipment was adjacent to the Puppy Palace, and when it needed replacing, it encroached upon the puppies’ yard.

While the shed and adjacent kennel space still provide excellent housing for newborns and puppies up to four weeks,

after that – the little monsters need more room to run and play.

For the past year, this meant carting them to the much larger puppy yard. They quickly outgrow wheelbarrow transfer leading to weeks of one-by-one carrying.

The solution: Puppy Pad South – or as I like to call it, Juvenile Hall. An enclosure within the large Puppy Yard that can house puppies when they reach four weeks or so.

The guys fenced off a space and built a shed at the end of the yard with a large tree providing all-day shade.

The surrounding ground, however, was a disaster. So we got to work leveling and setting pavers to provide a safe play space that is easily cleaned. While Kermit supervised…of course!

On one end, is a small patch of real grass and another tree. And under the large shade tree where grass doesn’t grow, artificial turf will be installed. The puppies will have plenty of safe room to play and stay – and when we have eyes on – the gate will open onto their very large, grassy puppy yard.

No more hauling back and fort! And everything a puppy needs for play and socialization.

At the Heart of Gardening…and Rescue

“At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous.” ~ Mirabel Osler

Who would have believed that an acre of weeds and thistle would turn into our memorial garden.

Or that seeds, bulbs, saplings and bare roots would grow into this.

Yes, it takes hard work, water and sun, and a fair amount of luck – but what unfolds is kind of miraculous.

Rescue requires its own belief in miracles. Here are a few of the tiny ones we have recently had the privilege to know.

Patsy was likely hit by a car and dragged. This little puppy arrived from a shelter with a broken leg and a body covered in bruises and scrapes.

She did her rehab like a quiet trooper in her little prison, giving no hint of the awesome Yoda personality inside.

As she recovered, it came shining through.

She was listed as available for less than 24 hours before a lucky family scooped her up and carried her away.

Miss Pickles puppy came to us with hydrocephalus – water on the brain.

Already nearly blind, the condition could result in full blindness down the road as well as seizures and behavioral issues. But don’t tell her or her mom that she is anything less than perfect,

because Miss Pickles – now Autumn – is perfect for her.

Tiny Johnnie was dropped off at a shelter and marked as stray. He was abandoned.

He has swimmer puppy syndrome. It is a developmental deformity showing up shortly after birth which causes the chest or thorax to flatten. Puppies with the syndrome have a hard time eating or drinking, and those that survive the first few weeks lack strength in their legs to push themselves up. Their legs – particularly their back legs – are splayed, moving side to side – thus the name swimmer syndrome.

Johnnie is lucky to have pretty good use of his front legs. Intensive physical therapy can reverse the impact to his back legs if begun early.

He has found a foster daddy who will work with him – including regular swims – to get those back ones into gear.

Sometimes, miracles are just good people with kind hearts. And we are blessed with good people who understand that…

“Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” ~ Willa Cather

The one that got away

My husband says I should compile a montage of all the puppies we have fostered in the last couple of years. Note to self. I’ll get right on that.

Our latest, Buddy, went and got himself adopted. A beautiful Chocolate Lab, he was surrendered at four months of age for being a puppy.

His people – apparently divided in their decision to purchase him – took on more than they could manage or agree upon. As a result, Buddy was sleeping in the garage and staying outside. They were wise enough to know that Buddy deserved more. It was a kindness to let us help him find it.

Too young to be in the kennels, I brought him home. This was not your average size four-month old. He already weighed in at 47 pounds.

But his heart is as big as his paws, and this love bug quickly wormed his way into ours.

He put both our Jackson and Yogi to the test. It took about a week, but they eventually got him to fall in line. And I figured out that if Yogi and I wore him down, my shoes, furniture, and door jams could be saved.

Regardless of how long we foster a puppy – a few days or a few weeks – my Jackson is always ready to pack their bags. He is an accepting – if not gracious – host. Willing to share as long as he sees an end in sight.

Yogi, on the other hand, grieves his puppies when they go home no matter how much whining he did when they tortured him. Yogi taught Buddy how to watch for squirrels (as if he cared),

and Buddy taught Yogi that all toys belong to the baby in residence.

While Chocolate Labs are prized as hunting dogs, Buddy doesn’t have a single hunting instinct in his body. He crawled on his stomach to meet the neighbor cat, and when I took him to meet ducks and geese, he just sat and watched them.

He has found himself a family full of kids, dogs, and adventures. Everything he deserves, needs, and everything I wanted for him. Instead of “Everready Buddy” they describe him as “chill.”

It took days to remove all the baby gates and pens, and put the house back in order. But I miss the little bugger, his morning kisses, nighttime snoring, and impish ways.

Happy life, Buddy. I hope you’ll stop by to play sometime!

Wordless Wednesday: Chevy’s Bed Head

Forrest

There is a reason why gardeners are increasingly moving to native plants.
Unlike fancy hybrids, native plants are uniquely adapted to their landscape. Having developed over time, they are resilient and well-suited to the available soil, water, and sun or shade.

As a result, they thrive where others languish – providing valuable habitat to others.

Today’s designer dogs are much like plant hybrids. Mixed breeds combined in the hopes of a perfect mix of genetic traits. Bernedoodles are apparently the latest rage: a mix of Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle.

Unfortunately, these designer dogs bred (and inbred) with limited gene pools by unscrupulous “breeders” run the risk not only losing the desirable traits of each breed but also inheriting health issues and undesirable traits from both sides. The result: Forrest.